Radiator construction



F. B. WENTWORTH.

RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. 1919.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

UNITED STAT rum: is. wim'rwoa'rn, or L08 enemas, came-cams.

RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

Application filed September 22, 1919. Serial No. 325,501.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. WENT- woa'ru, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Radiator Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to radiators and more particularly to automobile radiators having a plurality of parallel vertical water conveying tubes separated by intermediate spacing elements serving as heat radiating means for transmitting the heat of the water to air currents passing through the spacing elements.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved heat radiating tube spacing element combining means for entraining air currents in alternating spiral directions through the channels or air passages therein.

A further object is to provide a tube spacing element having a minimum area of contact with the tubes.

To this end the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and com bination of parts, the essential elements whereof are recited in the appended claims and a preferred form of embodiment of which is described in detail hereinafter and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this disclosure.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a radiator section embodying my invention.

Fig 2 is a section on line 417 -12 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line in -m of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on line m*--m of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of a portion of one of the tube spacing elements.

The body of the radiator with which my improvements are associated comprises a plurality of relatively flat vertical tubes 1 formed preferably of thin sheet metal with the sides thereof having longitudinal com plementary ribs 2 projecting inwardly and serving to maintain the side walls in spaced relationship.

The water conveying tubes are separated by intermediate spacing elements 3 formed of thin sheet metal folded to form oppositely disposed channels providing transverse air passages 4 having front and rear open ends.

The vertical walls 5 of the spacing elements 3 are provided with lateral slots 6-7 and the metal displaced from the walls in forming said slots is bent into the passages or channels 4 to form air deflecting fins 8-9. By thus slotting the walls 5 the presence of a double thickness of metal between the cooling water in the tubes and the circulating air in the air passages is reduced to a m nimum, thereby increasing the heat radiating efiiciency of the structure.

It will be noted that the front fin in each channel extends downwardly at an angle from the u per edge of the wall 5. and that the rear fin 0 each channel extends upwardly at an angle from the lower edge of the wall, the fins in each channel being alternately disposed in respective planes converging inwardly. The

' rear end portions of the fins 8 are turned downwardly in spiral formation and the rear end portions of the fins 9 are turned upwardly in s iral formation, the spiral ends of each 0 the fins 89 serving to direct a portion of the air currents in the passage 4, through the slots 6-----7v and against the exposed surface of the adjacent tubes. The fins 8 will first direct the air in one direction of spirality and the air engaging the rear fins 9 will be reversely directed in the opposite direction of spirality.

Each wall 5, intermediate its ends, is provided with a head 10, which engages into the groove provided by the formation of the ribs 2 in the tubes and are for the urpose of maintaining the tubes and spacing elements in place during the construction of the radiator.

After the radiator core is assembled the top, bottom, front and rear edges are dipped ina bath of solder to seal the joining edges of the tubes and spacing elements.

This structure provides a radiator in which the area of the spacing elements contacting with the adjacent tubes is reduced to a minimum. and in which the air currents passing through the channels of the spacing elements are entrained in alternately reversing spiral directions and against the exposed adjacent surfaces of the water tubes, thereby producing a maximum cooling effect upon the water in the tubes while at the same time producing a simple, durable and cheaply manufactured product.

I claim:

1. A radiator having a plurality of parallel tubes, and intermediate spacing elements folded to provide oppositely dis sed channels with a series of air de ecting fins stamped from the wall of each channel and extending into said channel, the fins in each channel being relatively and alternately disposed in respective planes converging inwardl with the rear portions of the fins spirally contoured.

2. A radiator having a plurality of parallel tubes, and intermediate spacing elements folded to provide oppositely disposed channels having vertical tube engaging walls, with a series of air deflecting fins stamped from the vertical wall of each channel and relatively contoured to direct air currents through the channels in alternate spiral directions.

3. A radiator having a plurality of parallel tubes, and intermediate spacing elements folded to provide oppositely disposed channels having vertical tube engaging walls, with lateral air deflecting fins stamped from said walls and bent to extend into the channels providing openings in channel 7 walls adjacent the tubes, the rear portions of the fins being spirally contoured to direct air currents through said openings and against the exposed surfaces of the tubes.

4. A radiator havin a plurality of parallel tubes, and interme iate spacing elements folded to provide oppositely disposed channels having vertical tube engaging walls, with a lateral air deflecting fin stamped from the forward portion of each vertical wall and a second lateral air deflecting fin stamped fromthe rear portion of each verfolded to provide oppositely disposed chan- 1 nels having vertical tube engaging walls with a lateral air deflecting fin stampe from the forward portion of each vertical wall and a second lateral air deflecting fin stamped from the rear portion of each vertical wall, the fins in each channel having their rear portions spiraled in relative opposite directions.

. 6. A radiator having a plurality of parallel tubes, and intermediate spacing elements folded to provide oppositely disposed channels havin vertical tube engaging walls, with latertfair deflecting fins stamped from each vertical channel wall and angularly disposed relative thereto, each fin having a spirally contoured rear portion with the spiral portion of each fin disposed opposltely to the spiral portion of the adjacent fin in the same channel.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 13th day of September, 1919.

FRANK B. wnnrwoarn.

Witnesses:

' CLARENCE B. Fos'rna, L. BELLE WEAVER. 

